The Faeby Job
by Miss Meggie
Summary: Sequel to Twisted Cupid Job: Sleeping with Parker has consequences like being mated and having babies.


AN: I own nothing but the idea and Merit.

It had been three months since Eliot had been pulled back into the fae world and was forced to reveal himself as a Dark Shifter Fae, in pursuit of a rogue Aphrodox Fae feeding of the love and dopamine of humans and fae alike.

It had been a result of that job that he had slept with Parker drunk on Aphrodox toxin and his long held down attraction to her and her to him.

It had been three months since Bo Dennis had jammed a syringe full of antidote into their asses and gone on her merry way.

He had spent the last three months convincing himself that his defenses hadn't slipped down, that the worst hadn't happened that he wasn't inexplicably mated to Parker. Of all the people in the world to be mated too Parker!

The lie never works and he knows that the undeniable eternal bond is there to stay no matter how it came about.

He loves Parker in a way he could never explain to any one; at its most basic instinctual level he loves her. It doesn't make sense he knows that, half the time he seriously wants to throttle the fucking crazy right out of her but the facts remain he loves her.

And she doesn't love him. That's also a fact.

This is so stupid, that is just what he gets for helping Tamzin. Sisters are nothing but trouble.

Eliot brushes off the scent at first as just excess hormones, but then in a quiet moment when he is half asleep on the couch midway through his precious ninety minutes, he can hear the faint swishing sound of a second heart beat, falling in perfect time with Parker's own.

He doesn't mean to tell her that she is in fact pregnant, but the bonded male in him takes over in protecting his mate.

"You really shouldn't do this repel, I'll do it." He offers looking over the strategy for this particular con.

"I really hate being the logical one but you have all the grace of a bulldozer." Parker replies dryly never looking away from her blue prints.

"You can't repel." He states matter of factly.

"Yes I can, I can eat and repel, I can text and repel though I'm not sure that's legal." She looks at him oddly.

"And you don't care." Hardison points out while doing research for one of his briefing presentations.

"That's true." She agrees and Eliot lets out a long suffering groan.

"Just listen, I am trying to protect you." He throws up his hands and suppresses a growl of frustration.

"Why?"

"Because I care." He hedges.

"I know and you let me repel then. "She said slowly as though he's stupid.

"You're pregnant! " He blurts out immediately wishing he could hit rewind when Hardison's head snaps up and the other man eyes him warily.

"I can smell it, I can smell the hormonal changes because I'm-"He almost says your mate but he gains control of himself just in time. "Because I'm fae." He finishes.

The color drains from Parker's face as she realizes the truth of what he'd said. Hardison plops lifelessly into a chair as Parker runs off.

Neither man goes after her or stops her they know Parker well enough to know that some things she must work through at her own pace.

There's a thick silence between himself and Hardison it hangs between them like a big brick wall. Hardison brings down that wall with a wrecking ball of a question.

"So is it mine or yours?" He hadn't even thought of that.

"I don't know." comes his flabbergasted reply.

"Can she even have one of your…things?" Hardison said with spite dripping from the question.

"Yes, she can have my child Hardison, half fae are human." He fights not to roll his eyes.

"Oh Yeah, that's a relief at least." Hardison says.

Eliot gives in and rolls his eyes "I'm going down to the brew pub." He grosses stomping off.

"What I'd say?" Hardison replied in false repentance.

"Nothing." He says lowly.

He goes into the bar and pulls up a stool. He sits and waits until the bartender he'd hired Cammie, a young perky blonde girl came over and wordlessly placed a bottle of blackberry lager before him. He spins his phone like a top on the counter before picking it up biting the bullet and bringing up Tammy's number beneath her sharply smiling face on his phone.

It rings three times before her voice fills his ear. "Sup bro?"

"I'm mated." He said flatly.

"Wait hang on." He can hear her moving away from the bull pen. "Busy day?" he asked

"Quit changing the subject." She demands in her own over bearing but I care older sister kind of way. "Did you just say you are mated? Mom and Dad are going to kill you for not telling them first. It's not Amina is it?"

"No, it's not Amy, that would be so much easier they'd get over me loving a Light Fae, a human well I ain't so sure." He replies.

"Jesus Elian, a human really they are fragile and they die." She says dryly as if he is dumber than a fence post.

"You aren't telling me anything I haven't already told myself a thousand times Tam." He sighed and swigged his beer.

"Why do I feel like you aren't telling me everything?" Tamzin sounds accusatory to his ear.

"Because I'm not." He states plainly. "Don't push." He adds hastily knowing Tammy has Mama's nosey gene.

He gets off the phone with his sister and grabs his beer making the long trudge up the stairs back to Parker. He is pulled to her like metal to a magnet.

When he enters his portion of the loft he finds Parker sitting on the end of his bed feet kicking lazily he has some fogged over memory but can't place it in context,

"What will I do?" She asks looking up at him with innocence that surprises him, the white line of her teeth pull nervously at her bottom lip.

He quashes his need to protect her and claim what grows inside her as his own. Instead he becomes the realist she's used to and lays out all the options for her. "What do you want to do Parker? It's your body, it's your choice not mine or Hardison's, there are no good or bad choices here Parker."

"Do you think I could be a mother?" she asks tentatively and the insecurity in her eyes makes his heart break for her.

"I think you are more capable than you want to believe. Can you love?" he asks plainly he raises her chin a little to catch her eyes.

"Yes I can I do."

"Then you can be a mother Parker. "He sees a little relief light her gaze.

"Is there like a fairy way of determining paternity." She asked.

"I can call in a favor two yeah." He nods and pulls out his phone.

Eliot wants this creepy little tree hugging, hemp wearing, woodland fae in their place about as bad as he wants a root canal without the nova Caine but she's the only seer in town and he needs all the help he can get.

Parker scoots closer and closer to him by degrees as Esme sages their place for bad energy. "I don't like this, it stinks literally." Eliot happens to share her opinion but doesn't voice it because he also knows this particular subset of fae prefer to use their enemies for mulch and they use their razor sharp teeth too wood chipper you. "Be still baby," he murmurs near her ear the term of endearment slips out before he can stop it.

Hardison stares at him a moment then looks away; Part of Eliot wonders if Hardison knows that he is in fact mated to Parker.

Parker bumps back into his chest when Esme gets a little too close with her smudge stick. He puts a protective hand on her hip.

"So much anger in this space." Esme mutters clucking her tongue at a corner of the living room.

"That's all him. " Parker chirps helpfully pointing back at him. "I'm not angry I just have easily accessible rage." He defends himself Hardison chuckles dryly.

"You gotta work on that before the baby gets here." Parker informs him. He huffs and rolls his eyes.

Esme has Parker lay down on the couch and she begins to mix her herbs into a green gooey paste. Once the paste has the consistency of pancake batter she smears it liberally on to Parker's still flat abdomen.

She places her hands on Parker's belly.

"How does this work?" Parker asked. She squirms a little in nervous fear.

"If the paste turns purple the baby is half fae and belongs to Elian." Esme replies easily.

"Eliot." He corrects in a growl.

Esme's hands and Parker's belly begins to glow. Parker's hands both shoot out to grab a hold of him and Hardison.

"You are safe." Eliot said in reassurance.

Once the glow settles Parker's abdomen is a lavender shade of purple. Hardison drops her hand and walks off.

Hurt tears fill Parker's eyes and Eliot squeezes her hand.

"Sorry sweetheart, I'm never wrong." Esme says compassionately. "It's a girl she has his eyes." Esme points to Eliot.

"My debt to you is paid Elian." She gives a small respectful bow.

"It is." He replies curtly aristocratic upbringing showing through. He nods he bows to no one.

Eliot is dying to run away himself but doesn't he find Parker sitting at the brew pub's shiny oak bar.

"Milkshake Darlin"" He offers

"It won't come up again?" sometimes in fae pregnancy symptoms come on fast and Parker's case is no different.

"We can hope, I'll add a lil ginger." Eliot replies getting out his supplies.

"He hates me." She mutters.

"No, he might hate me, but not you. He's pissed because he can't make sense of this he can't hack a baby." He plugs in the blender.

"What about those robot babies they give teenagers for health class." Parker retorts watching him intently.

Eliot laughs he can't help himself. "He can't hack a human baby Parker."

"So the baby's human?" She asks eyebrows raised in a non-verbal question.

"She is yes."

"Eliot you are really calm." She said brows quirking in perplexity.

"Someone has to be, whip cream?" He holds up his metal bowl of hand whipped cream.

"You know it! Eliot how old are you?"

"Eight hundred and twenty." He leans on the bar and watches for an odd reaction.

He doesn't get one. "What do you get on your eight hundred and twenty first birthday?" She asks watching him dump ice cream, milk, and ginger snaps into a blender.

"An extra beer." He replies smiling at her. He sets the blender on high whirring her milkshake together.

"You're different Eliot, I kinda like it." She smiles at him mischievously.

When night begins to fall and rain starts to fall and Hardison had yet to return Parker begins to pout and pace.

"Why'd he even leave? I'm the one with a human growing inside me." Parker complains. "He acts like I cheated on purpose and asked for this!" She rails on. "I am so mad at him, what if something to him what if he's lying in a ditch somewhere! And everyone thinks I'm immature!" She gives a heaving breath. Her chin trembles and her eyes start to fill but she doesn't actually cry.

"Parker honey," He says gently.

"What!" She barks at him in frustration.

"Do you want to go look for him?" Eliot suggests. Parker makes a grab for the keys but Eliot beats her too them. "No, I'll drive baby."

"I can drive." She complains stomping out behind him.

"You drive like road rage Barbie at the best of times."

They check the game stop he likes and the grocery store soda aisle and they find nothing any sign of him.

"I have one more place before we have to turn on his tracker." Parker says sounding dejected. He holds open the super market door for her.

"We'll find him Parker." He reassures a little sick to his stomach he's helping his mate find her boyfriend Jesus H Christ if his pack knew he'd never live this shit down.

They find him in the corner of an Indian convenience store playing a battered old school Pac-man game.

"You know you're the only person who has ever loved me, really loved me and not ran away please don't start now. I have no control over this it was an accident and while I don't regret it I need your help because I'm terrified Alec." Parker says to his turned back.

He turns to her the sound of his Pac-man being eaten by the ghosts ringing behind him.

"I don't belong in this." He said plainly as if his mind is already made up.

"Yes, you do with me. With me you belong." Parker retorts, the hope in her eyes makes Eliot's guts twist.

"He's mated to you Parker, or hasn't he told you." Hardison says with an edge of spitefulness to it.

"What does that have to do with anything? Wait!" she stands stock still for a solid ten seconds.

She turns to Eliot eyes blazing. "What does that mean and why is he telling me and not you? Does it have to do with the baby? "Her eyes narrow in suspicion.

"No Parker, it's biochemical and tied into my emotions. It means that I love you and only you for life. I always have loved you I guess but I repressed it because you are human and when we got dosed with the toxin my barriers finally slipped down. It just happened I can't be sorry for it and I won't be able to stop what I feel any more than you can stop stealing things. You get the choice Parker, you choose who you love." He watches her carefully his chest tight as he waits for her to run.

She walks off and grabs a box of cereal and rips into it. She stuffs some cereal into her mouth.

"And the baby?" she asks impatiently.

"Is her own entity, I will love her because she is my child the same as any human would." He answers plainly.

Parker's second handful of cereal freezes half way to her mouth. "I am going to throw up. Every. Where." Her eyes widen.

Hardison sprints to the housewares section and comes back with a trash can just in time.

Eliot holds back her hair the combat medic in him completely unaffected by captain crunch vomit.

"I hate this, oh god I can't do this. She spits

"Just breathe normal Parker deep breaths will trigger your gag reflex." Eliot told her.

Eliot leaves the place having bought a five gallon puked in trash can and a half eaten box of cereal but at least they'd found Hardison.

Eliot tries to stay really he does, he wants to she's his mate he wants to protect what on some primal level feels is his and his alone but seeing her with Hardison rips his heart out tiny piece by tiny piece and at night when he listens in on her tear and terror filled phone conversations with Sophie about becoming a mother breaks those already ripped out pieces even further.

So in a rare act of cowardice for Eliot he leaves in the night like a thief funnily enough and heads home, his clan had originated in what in human terns is known to be Canada and trickled down to the southern region of the US. Eliot preferred the slow dripping honey pace and the washed in the blood faith and feel of Oklahoma.

Now though his parents are older, older for fae anyway and they felt the need to return to home base and the original clan ties.

As he steps over the thresh hold of The Dal he feels at home like he's one hundred and sixteen again sipping a stein of ale and listening to the Gallic music peppering the background.

He strolls up to the bar and nods at The Blood King behind the taps. "Trick."

"Elian it's been a long time, though I heard you'd helped Bo recently." Trick leans on the bar.

"I did," he straddles a stool. "And it led to a whole slew of problems.""

"The kind you are running from I gather?" Dyson his old pack mate says giving him a slap on the back.

"That obvious? I used to have a better poker face." He replied.

"No your sister just has a big mouth, you are mated to a human or so I hear." Dyson's eyebrows rise.

"A human who loves someone else and is pregnant with my child "he picks up the longneck Trick sat down and took a long pull and waits for the information to sink in.

Dyson whistles lowly. "And I thought Bo and I had problems. The baby is cause for celebration, let's call Tamzin."

After a few drunken rounds of Karaoke he plops back down at the bar before Trick. "Now, I remember why I don't Karaoke with Tammy, girl can't carry a tune in a tin bucket." He winces as she hits a sour high note in her rendition of "Cowboy Casanova." He plinks himself back on his bar stool.

"I've known you your whole life Elian and if I know one thing for sure it's that you don't lose well and that's what loving humans will get you loss. So your walls are coming up. "The old and royal fae says knowingly.

"Look spit it out Trick, I get enough riddles from Parker and drunken Physco babble from Nate just give me a little truth." Eliot replies tiredly the alcohol in his system making him extra edgy.

"The thruth is you need to man up, we all love people who don't love us back at some point and fae or not people die and not all the centuries in the world will be enough time, I am so old I've lost count of the years and not even then was it enough time with Isabo or A'ife. Stop making excuses and hiding from your life and live it."

With Trick's sage advice ringing in his ears and a bitching hang over pounding behind his eyes he heads back home to Portland.

Eliot wasn't exactly sure what he would find upon his return but for some reason he wasn't expecting to find Parker painting the walls of one of the spare loft rooms a putrid shade of green.

"I call it essence of money." She smiles at him brightly and he doesn't have the heart to tell her it looks like Linda Blair's pea soup dinner exploded all over the wall and is likely to give the baby seriously traumatic nightmares.

"Where's Hardison?" He asks looking to dump off the "This room is awful." conversation off on to him.

"Getting me gummy bears, fetus yet to be named likes them."

"Why did you leave?" she asks sparring him a glance.

"The truth is Parker and I will never admit this again but I got scared." He answered honestly.

"I am way more scared than you, promise you won't leave again. "Parker said.

"I promise, I give you my word. "He said solemnly.

Over time they try to include Hardison in things concerning the baby but he closes himself off into his computer driven world.

"I don't know what to do about it Eliot, I can't help that I want to keep her and have something of my own to love. All he keeps saying is babies take more love than they can give and I don't know what I am getting into like I'm some stupid unwed teenage mother, it would be offensive if I didn't know his snark is like a defense line." She sits down on the couch beside him as he stretches his arm across the back of the couch to settle around her shoulders.

He knows Parker is more hurt by Hardison's words than she'll ever admit but there is nothing he can do to take the sting of Alec's reaction away so instead he tries to be reasonable, which could seriously back fire given Parker's hormonal shifts in mood.

"Parker honey, he has a choice to make here to where and how he wants to fit into this and you can't rush him." He waits for one of those hormone explosions.

She doesn't reply. She just stares down at her already showing belly, at three months a tiny swell has already formed.

So he changes the subject. "Wolf fae, they have litters you know? "He teases kissing the top of her head that's leaned on his shoulder he expects her to threaten his safety like any pregnant woman would if you suggested she looked like she was giving birth to a litter of people but no not Parker, She just smiles up at him. "Like a cat, cool brings a whole new meaning to the words cat burglar, or would it be wolf burglar since you're like all wolfish?" Her brows

"The baby is human parker you are a normal pregnant thief." He replied a tad bit irritated that's his fifth time explaining this!

"Ooh I know we can name her Fay! I still like jewels Cash Money Millionaire though."

"No way in hell!" He replies as he is staunchly against rapper names.

Hardison leans against the door frame and watches Eliot repaint the green walls a lilac shade.

"How'd you talk her out of the pea soup?" He asked.

"I didn't she read it in a parenting book that jarring colors lead to development delays, I don't really believe that but it gets rid of this terrible color so I'm good with it." Eliot refills his roller and continues swiping stripes of pinky purple on to the wall.

"Where is she?" he pushes off the door frame.

"Sophie and Nate are home for a bit they went crib and baby shopping, what made you exit your cave?" He glances over at Hardison.

"I can't stay in there forever we're a family, so our family expands and gets a lil weirder. Parker is going to choose who she loves and being hurt by it isn't going to change it for either of us, and sweet baby Jesus that green is awful." Hardison answered and picked up a stray roller to help paint.

"Welcome to my terror." Eliot said dryly.

They go through all the normal and not so normal cravings, Ice cream, and Ice cream with tabasco, beef jerky and Oreos, Popcorn. Deep fried Twinkies and if Eliot eats another one in sympathy as good as they are he will be the size of Gilbert Grape's mama in no time.

They go through moods swings from angry to happy to sad in moments, they haven't ran into the horny phase yet thank god but Parker's response was "well he's mated to me but your my boyfriend ." then she gave a tiny shrug and said "I'll flip a coin when the time comes." And she walked away.

"There's something wrong with you!" Eliot had shouted after her.

They've banned little house on the prairie and Rice Krispies commercials because she cries shouting things like "Why can't I be loved like that!" at the TV.

After Eliot and Hardison had been out shopping in bulk for the pub they return to find Parker climbing the brick and stone climbing wall Hardison had installed before she'd gotten pregnant.

They drop two of the boxes they were carrying. "Get down now!" Eliot demands the mated man in him rearing its ugly head. He rushes forward to catch her in the highly unlikely event she fell even at six months pregnant Parker is fairly lithe and very well balanced.

"But you love me." Parker states in false innocence

"Yes, I love you but you still bug the shit out of me regardless and this it bothers me now get down!" he demands as though he is talking to a small child.

"Parker babe he's right you gotta get down." Hardison tries reasoning with her.

"But all the books say I should get plenty of exercise."

"They mean yoga or walking not climbing-" from deep in his chest Eliot lets out a low feral growl cutting off Hardison's spiel his blue irises turning a golden shade, he scales the wall like spider man on speed plucks her off the wall and sits her gently on her feet. "There," he says. Then he mutters, "Damned crazy girl." And stalks off.

Her water breaks on Tuesday in May. She had wanted to have a home birth which was a good thing considering fae births can be…interesting.

She walks over to Eliot on shaky legs and swishy shoes. "There's a puddle." She tells him from behind the couch.

"Did you over water your Venus fly trap again Darlin' Eliot asks without looking up from "The Art of War."

"No, it's baby juice." Parker said with a shaking voice.

"Baby juice." He mouthed and then his book snapped shut. He jumped up. "OH shit. Okay are you in pain?" he asks getting around the couch and moving over to her. "Hardison!" he hollers.

"I feel twinges." She said her voice going reedy.

"How far apart are they?"

"I don't know, didn't time it I don't have a watch." She said.

Hardison appears in the doorway eating gummy frogs. "Is it go time?"

"There's a puddle, if that tells you anything." Parker repeats and lets Eliot lead her to her bedroom.

"You scared Darlin'?" Eliot asks watching her carefully.

"Not sure yet." She answers fear edging her gaze.

They had decided Hardison would coach her and Eliot would deliver the baby.

They get her situated in the bed and Parker is naturally a restless person in the best of times. "This is too slow." She complains hitting the bed covers in frustration.

"Parker you've been in bed for all of five minutes, it takes time she's not a dog I can't coax her out with treats." Eliot said tossing her a bag of locks. "Pick those and remember to breathe." He instructs. He seriously hopes his patience holds out.

Eliot is more afraid than he's willingly going to admit. He has delivered babies but only one was human and that was in the back of a cab in Cambodia and the other was a cow on a cattle ranch in Texas.

This though is his baby and his mate it's infinitely more important. He washes hands with a surgeon's precision.

He's sterilizing and organizing all the things he needs when Hardison's voice comes from behind "Are you alright to do this man? Your hands are shaking,"

"I'm fine Hardison." He barks angry that Hardison had seen the truth, he's terrified.

"We can still call that Fae doula if you want." He offers in reassurance but really and truly it just grates on Eliot's nerves.

"I said, I was fine." He grits out.

"I'm just trying to help." Hardison said exasperated.

"I know but I thought we agreed you'd keep Parker calm that helps." Eliot returns trying to be patient with more than just Parker will be tiring.

"Parker is calm; I just spent the last five minutes trying to tell her you can't build a house with Tetris blocks. That's not how the game works!" He complains because no one else will really listen.

As the hours roll on and the pain intensifies Parker's "Zen Mommy" Façade cracks.

"Oh it hurts. I don't like you right now." She directs at Eliot scowling intensely.

"That's okay babe, I don't particularly care for him either right now." Hardison agrees kissing her temple.

"Look at me baby, you are okay I'm not going to let anything happen to you or the baby, it's all natural and you are doing great." Eliot replies and shrugs off Hardison's needless barb.

"I am?" She asks unsure of things.

"You are I promise." He answers shooting her a lopsided grin.

"I am I can do this." She sikes herself up.

"Hey Eliot?" Parker calls out.

"Yeah," He looks up at her.

"You're eyes they're yellow and you aren't mad at me." She states in surprised wonderment.

"You're my mate and this is an intimate experience, I can't concentrate on keeping my guard up. I naturally revert to a level of my most basic self. "He replies apologetically.

"You aren't going to wolf out on us are you?" Hardison asked.

Eliot growls but answers. "No, if she were Fae I could some women prefer to have their young in wolf form."

"You don't have to hide you are Eliot." Parker says helpfully.

"Thank you honey but I'm still not shifting fully just so can pet me." He sees what she's getting and just…no! He tickles the bend of her knee and waits for the next contraction fae births once they get going can be quick.

"Damn, Oh wozers this hurts, so much pressure…" Parker says groaning and Eliot gets the feeling he was right to stay up in the position to play catch.

"I think its go time, let me check you Parker." He said squeezing her knee in reassurance.

"It's that time, you ready?" he tells her holding gaze.

"Do I get a choice?" She asks genuinely nervous.

"Not really no, push just like we practiced okay? You got this baby, just relax and let your body do its thing okay." Eliot replied.

"Chin to your chest." Hardison coaches. "Deep breath and…" Parker gives a tentative push.

"Push harder Darlin'." Eliot commands. Parker squeaks but bears down hard.

Hardison counts lowly in Parker's ear. "One… two... three…"

Eliot sharpens his hearing even as he watches the baby's head slide forward back again; he hears the steady even beat of two separate hearts. "Good girl, keep it up. " He nudges Parker's thighs apart a little in preparation of catching the baby.

Apparently they all had under estimated Parker aside from some light complaining she did and her restlessness she asked for nothing for the pain and by Eliot's estimation the baby would be born within the next five or six pushes.

She arrives in no less than eight pushes.

He lays the messy crying child on Parker's chest and as he looks at them at Parker's teary yet happy face and the baby's blue eyes blinking up at him he realizes that the two people in their odd little family most likely to deny themselves or just simply not see life's true pleasures have found the most important one in their child. Self-less love.

He is filled with two dueling emotions pride and terror. If Parker didn't already have her hooks in him she would now. Now though there is a tiny set of hooks just below Parker's that dig even deeper and they belong to her, his daughter.

For the first time since becoming mated to Parker he acts without regard for Hardison. He leans down kissing Parker softly on the mouth. There are some things that can't be said with words and not even Hardison's unspoken rage rolling toward him can break in to this moment.

For the first two days of her life their baby has no name. Parker sits with the baby in her lap staring at the dark haired light complected baby girl. "I want to name her Jewel." She said patting down one of the baby girl's wayward dark curls. Then stares expectantly up at Eliot who's standing over them from behind the couch.

"I thought it was going to be way worse, what about Merit Jewel Spencer." Eliot offers.

"As in like Merit badges?" Parker's brows quirk.

"No as in like she is the one thing of true merit to come from this completely fucked situation."

"Don't curse around her." Parker said sternly shocking Eliot's socks off.

"Sorry Darlin I forget." He has the grace to feel a little shame.

"I was serious about your anger thing to Elian."

"I'm not angry and don't call me Elian woman!" He groused making Parker's point for her.

"I like Merit Jewel it stays." Parker holds the baby up to her face. "You smell better than money kid." She kissed her cheek. "I really do like you. You know that right I'll never fit into my Lycra cat suit again but I like you."

"Try that thing on for me and I'll tell you if it looks bad I love you and I'm your friend so I'll be honest." Eliot tries.

Parker and Merit simply get up and walk away. "It's a Lycra cat suit and I'm a guy I had to try." Eliot defends to her retreating back.

Parker falls in love with Eliot in little increments so small that she doesn't even realize it but somewhere between the first bath they gave Merit and watching him dance barefoot across the kitchen floor with the baby girl it happens all the same.

"You need to tell him Parker." Hardison states watching her holding Merit as they rock back and forth in a chair in the corner of the room.

Parker looks down into her daughter's doll like face. The baby chews on Parker's pinky as they rock along. "Tell him what?" The baby gurgles. "Hi my Jewel Bug who's a happy girl?" Parker babbles to Merit.

"That you love him." Her head whips around. "That's right I know, it's okay though these are some extraordinary circumstances we're in." He hurries to reassure her.

"I don't know what I feel it's confusing." She answers honestly.

"Follow your heart Parker it's what you do best and tell him you want to take care of your little girl too. Stop waiting for him too fall asleep to do it." He steps forward and kisses Parker's forehead.

"Do you think she's nocturnal because Eliot is a wolf man?" Parker asks dead seriously.

Hardison laughed. "Nah babe, she just doesn't have a sleep pattern."

It's in Eliot's nature to take over care of Merit he has three younger siblings and 3 nieces and one nephew, Tamsin was way too wild to be anything near maternal so he'd taken her spot in helping his mom.

Hardison watches Eliot picking vegetables from his roof top garden. "This summer squash is going to make good baby food. I know you are there Hardison I can hear your heartbeat. What do you want?" Eliot said slightly perturbed at having his peace broken.

"Has Parker talked to you?" He asked.

"About what?" He clips away a stray leaf and side eyes Hardison.

Hardison rips off the band aid for Parker "She tries to take care of Merit and you swoop in and take over before she can even give a half assed try. It hurts her feelings."

"She tells you that?" he said in a calm tone but Hardison knows it's a lie. "And I don't swoop, I supervise." He defends.

"She didn't have too, I have eyes and you do too swoop you're a swooper." The pruning shears flex in Eliot's hand and he whips around.

"I have eyes too Hardison and I know how you feel and you won't be honest about one iota of it so why should I take the advice of a hypocrite, I'm taking care of what's mine and I won't be sorry for it." Eliot's eyes narrow and he steps forward.

Hardison stays rooted in place not at all intimidated by the fire in Eliot's eyes. "You are right I'm pissed you stole her, you stole them, you stole my dream and I just have to take it because we're a family or we were and that's what's important to her. You are important to her. She loves you but you are going to screw it up because Eliot doesn't deserve good things right? You don't even have the fucking grace to take care of and respect the thing you stole. So you're damn right I hate you so much at times I wanna knock your head off, I may be a hypocrite but I know well enough not to press the self-destruct button on the best thing that ever happened to me so which one of us is worse off?" Hardison finishes chest heaving and Eliot storms off.

Eliot finds Parker lying on her back in the floor with Merit watching the light reflections and rainbows splashed on to the ceiling by the sunlight bounce off the disco ball mobile Parker had hung in her room.

"You need to tell me when you have a problem Parker," He said leaning on the door.

"It's not a problem really I just- you won't involve me, you might love me Eliot but you don't trust me." She exhales heavily as she sits up and smiles down at Merit who happens to be yawning. "She's mine. I'm her mother and I'm not going to harm her ever. She's mine and I love her above everything else and I thought you knew that! Why don't you trust me with her? I know you think there is something fundamentally broken in me but I'm not; I can take care of her! Don't tell me it's in your nature Elian because it's not! It's not pack driven or chemically driven you think I'm too fucked up to keep her safe!" Parker shouts and the baby cries. "Crap look what you made me do!" Parker picks her up and puts Merit to her shoulder and rubs her back in an attempt to soothe.

"Parker I don't think that I just worry that you won't know what to do."

"The only way is to learn as I go you have to let me." She replies staring him down unflinchingly.

Eliot gets in the car and drives with no real direction in mind and he winds up after many hours driving in his parents drive way. He gets out of his truck and is bum rushed into a flying bear hug by his eight year old niece Martine she's of the phoenix derivation of fae. "Uncle Eli!"

"Land first next time you hug me baby girl. Where's everyone?" he sits her gently on her feet. He kisses her on top of the head. Her light brown hair tickling his nose.

"They are inside, come on." she said grabbing his hand pulling him along. "Did you bring pictures of the baby? What's her name?" 'The little girl rambles on much like Parker he can't help thinking.

He sits in his mother's kitchen that smells of vanilla and cinnamon. He feels at ease for the first time in months. She sits a plate of banana pancakes and a cup of coffee before him. His mother is by birth an aristocrat by choice a southern belle. "Alright let's see her Elian." He hands her his phone as he does he glances down at the screen and catches sight of Parker smiling up at him holding Merit. His heart catches and for a mere moment he can't breathe.

"She's definitely your child Elian." His mother says with a slight humor filled smile as though he himself is not the spitting image of her.

"I know she's something isn't she?" he said shoots his mom a prideful smile cutting into his pancakes.

"Your human is quiet lovely." She adds demurely.

"Her name is Parker and she's crazier than Granny Spencer on rotgut whiskey." He grins widely unable to himself.

"And you like her that way I take it."

"It grows on you, like fungus." He adds cream to his coffee.

"If you love your mate and your baby then why are you here Elian?" She gives him that look he got for toilet papering The Morrigan's house with Tammy on his 500th birthday. Half frustration half wonderment.

He tilts his chair back onto two legs. "Its complicated mama, I'm in the way. "

"Of their happiness or your own?" She replied in her all-knowing motherly way.

"Both." He states plainly and sips his too hot coffee it burns his tongue and some dark hidden part of him enjoys the pain.

That night when Tamsin barrels in and demands he "Get up off his mopey ass and drink with her." He lets her drag him to The Dal.

He well into his third draft when Dyson plops down next to him. "I am going to give you a little advice go home to your mate and baby, It's painful to love someone who doesn't love you I get it but I'd take loving Bo from a distance than not at all." He trace's Merit's name in the condensation of his beer but doesn't spare Dyson a glance.

"Whatever." He replies to deep into self-pitying wallow to care.

The door slams behind them. It is dead silent. He hears the murmur of whispers "Unclaimed Humans." Followed by a tiny snuffle that sounds like Merit's baby snores. He turns to see Parker standing there in jeans and a ratty old hoodie of his, she's holding the carrier.

Parker is also drenched to the bone. Now that he thinks about it you can smell rain the air. She sits the carrier on an empty table. "Are there any baby stealing fae in the room?" She scans The Dal with a critical eye.

One lone woman in the back raises her hand. "Try it and I will rip you limb from limb puny human or not. You got that clear?" the woman nods. "Good." Parker arranges the blankets around the baby before moving.

She steps up to Eliot and slaps him across the face. "That's for breaking your promise to me you asshole. When I said I wanted to take care of her, I meant it but I didn't mean doing it alone. I can, but I don't want too because I love you. You! And yes, I will always love Hardison because he showed me I could love but I want to be with you. For as long as my life's gonna last I choose you and not because we're mated or some other chemical mumbo jumbo but for a million other things and I can stand here and list them all but I really need to pay the cab fair Because the cabbie wouldn't take uncut diamonds." Eliot laughs as he gets up to yank her to him and kiss her deeply.

"Wow, I thought that first one after I had Merit was good." She said breathlessly when he broke the kiss.

"You think the kiss was good sweet heart, wait for the sex." Tamsin said from behind her. "I can I hold her?" She added going toward.

"Are you drunk?" Parker asked.

"No." Tamsin replied only mildly offended.

"Okay then, Keep her wrapped up its cold in here." Parker said then directed her attention back to Eliot. "What does she mean?"

He leans down to whisper in her ear. "The fact that we're mated is going to make it hotter and well, fae have excellent stamina Darlin'."

She smiles at him wickedly. "And I'm flexible this is gonna be fun."

Three hours, a dozen orgasms, and three broken pieces of hotel furniture later.

"I'm either dead or paralyzed because I can't feel my body." Parker blindly reaches for her water glass. She shoves herself up into a sitting position to gulp down water." Holy fuck Eliot I'm either going to live forever or die happy if we keep this up." He reaches over and pulls her into the crook of his body. The water doesn't spill as she sits it on the floor as Eliot pulls her across him.

"We broke three different things you gotta tell me three of those you love about me a deal's a deal but first explain where you learned that twisty bouncy thing you did, I liked it." He plays with a lock of her corn silk blonde hair.

"Pervert the karma sutra." She replies sleep pulling her eyes fractionally closer to sleep.

"Three things." He reminded her yawning.

"I love the way dance with the jewel bug when she's colicky, it's a waltz right?" She can hear the steady beat of his heart. It eases her like a lullaby.

"Two step I can teach you." He offers.

"I love that you get up in the middle of the night make sure she's breathing it makes me feel less nutty when I do it." She said running her fingers through the sparse hair of his chest.

"Well you never know Darlin', can't be too careful." He agrees with her.

"I love that you don't coddle me or try to make me normal."

"Normal is a very elastic term Parker." He puts in.

"I love that you sneak vegetables into my food and five years later you still think I don't notice."

"You notice?" he sounds shocked despite his sleepiness it makes Parker smile.

"Sorry to burst your bubble baby." She conjures him hoping his ego isn't too bruised.

"I love the way your face screws up when I call you Elian." His face screws up and she laughs. "Yeah that I love that!" She said looking at him through half closed eyes.

"That's five things." He points out.

"Getting ahead of the curve some." She said dryly stretching against him.

"What are we going to do about Hardison?" he asked.

"I think it's taking care of its self he told me to follow my heart and I did, directly too you so I think all we need to do is be happy and he'll find his too hopefully sometime soon. I love you I'm going to get some sleep before your Mom gets back with Merit in the morning." She said cuddling into him.

Eliot listens to his mate's steady breathing. "I love you too Parker." And he drifts off to sleep perfectly at peace.

The next morning at breakfast with his family. "Come on Eliot, just this once please. I'll eat Brussels sprouts for a whole week without complaining."

"No not happening." He states as though it brooks no further argument.

"Come on Eli wolf out for the girl!" Tamzin added in. She put some syrup from her waffles on her finger and let Merit lick it off.

"Don't do that she could have some allergy her body can't fight off." Parker said.

"I and I tried to help you!" Tamzin pouted.

"Kaelon you shift for her." Eliot threw his napkin at his eighteen year old brother.

"She's your mate you shift." His brother retorts.

"Elian she's just curious what's one little shift." His mother adds.

"Fine but if you tell Hardison I'm not doing it again!" he gets up. "Can't believe this shit." He mutters walking to the bathroom.

He goes in and closes the door. There are some warning chuffs and some very fearsome growl. There is a yip like sound and Kaelon goes to open the door out walks a large black wolf walks out pads over to Parker and cocks its head at her. He has little white patches of fur in the places Eliot has scars.

Eliot nudges his head under her hand giving her permission to pet him. "This is so cool." He walks in a circle and lies at Parker's feet.

"Hey babe, Merit can ride on your back when she's bigger." Eliot lets out a yowl letting Parker he wasn't fond of that idea.

They try to slip back into their old lives but having Merit and loving her is a liability, they disband as a team but remain together as a family. Eliot runs a local gym and he and Hardison manage the brew pub and Parker teaches gymnastics to little girls.

Parker is right Hardison does find happiness dating the Indian waitress Parker had saved from being kidnapped.

Eliot never thought he'd be mated much less a father but he is and he wouldn't have it any other way!

The End!


End file.
